Economy
July 31, 2018
Chicago Business Barometer Shows Robust Demand
Written by Sandy Williams
The Chicago Business Barometer hit a six-month high in June, gaining 1.4 points to post at 65.5. New orders and production also reached six-month highs, increasing 8.0 percent and 10.6 percent, respectively.
Increasing demand led to a third month of growth for order backlogs. The indicator posted a nine-month high with firms reporting unfinished work from June orders, as well as production inefficiencies and employee shortages. Firms increased personnel for the third consecutive month, but reported difficulty finding qualified employees.
